Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Services
Practical Solutions for Complex Commercial & Employment Disputes
Not every dispute belongs in court. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) gives businesses and individuals the opportunity to resolve disputes more efficiently, privately, and with greater control than traditional litigation.
Drawing on experience as a litigation partner, in-house counsel, and federal arbitrator, Tamara Bock understands the legal, business, and practical considerations that influence how sophisticated disputes are evaluated and resolved. That’s how she helps parties better understand their options, evaluate competing arguments, and make informed decisions about the best path forward.
Choosing the Right Process
Every dispute is different. Deciding which process works best for you depends on the nature of the dispute, the parties’ objectives, the need for confidentiality, the desire to preserve relationships, and whether the parties want to control the outcome or get a binding decision from a neutral third party.
Bock Mediation offers two distinct dispute resolution services designed to meet those different needs: Mediation and Arbitration.
Mediation Services
A Collaborative Approach to Informed Decision Making
Mediation allows the parties—not the mediator—to decide whether and on what terms to resolve their dispute. Rather than imposing a decision, Tamara helps parties identify what’s fueling the dispute, and explore practical solutions that may not be available through litigation.
Mediation is often well suited for disputes involving:
- Executive employment matters
- Workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims
- Trade secret and restrictive covenant disputes
- Complex commercial contract disputes
- Partnership and shareholder disputes
- Other sophisticated commercial and employment disputes
Why parties choose mediation
- Greater control over the outcome
- Confidential discussions
- Flexible, business-oriented solutions
- Reduced cost and disruption compared with continued litigation
- The opportunity to preserve valuable business, professional and personal relationships
Arbitration Services
A Balanced Process for Binding Decisions
When parties are at an impasse, arbitration offers a more private, efficient alternative to court litigation. The parties present evidence and legal arguments to a neutral arbitrator, who issues an award that is generally binding and enforceable.
Complex commercial and employment arbitrations demand an arbitrator who can quickly understand the record, objectively evaluate the evidence, and apply the governing law impartially.
Tamara’s deep experience enables her to efficiently evaluate even the most difficult cases and make well-reasoned decisions grounded in the evidence and the governing law.
Available Arbitration Formats
- Binding Arbitration
- High-Low Arbitration
- Baseball Arbitration
- Non-Binding Arbitration
Why Parties Choose Arbitration
- Privacy
- Flexible scheduling and procedures
- A neutral with experience evaluating complex disputes
- A final, generally binding decision
In Their Own Words: Why Litigators, Business Leaders & Individuals Choose Tamara Bock
“I worked closely with Tamara for years on complex litigation and had many opportunities to see how she approaches difficult questions. She understands that reasonable people can see the same problem differently. Tamara does not rush past those differences; she takes the time to understand what is behind them and help people hear one another. She is thoughtful without being hesitant and decisive without being rigid. I would trust her to bring that same approach to any mediation or arbitration.”
Elaine Block, General Counsel, District of Columbia Department of Health
“As an executive at a multinational company, I needed to figure out how to leave my role while dealing with serious legal, ethical and regulatory questions. Tamara listened, asked practical questions, and helped me work through the consequences of each option. She was direct about the risks and careful about the obligations that came with my position. With her guidance, I ultimately found a good path forward that I could stand behind. I trust her completely.”
GK
When other employment lawyers told me there wasn’t much room for negotiation, Tamara found leverage. With her guidance, I was able to reach a satisfactory severance agreement and also continue work with my former employer in a new capacity. Hers is a sharp, creative legal mind and you’d do well having her in your corner.
RG
Learn about Tamara’s background, credentials, and neutral experience at About Tamara Bock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bock Mediation provides mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation for complex commercial disputes in Berkeley and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Tamara Bock draws on more than two decades of experience representing businesses in high-stakes litigation, advising corporate leadership, and managing complex commercial disputes from both law firm and in-house perspectives. That breadth of experience helps parties evaluate legal and business risk, identify practical solutions, and select the ADR process best suited to their dispute.
Why do litigators, employers, and employees choose Bock Mediation for employment dispute resolution?
Employment disputes often involve more than legal claims. They affect careers, workplace culture, business operations, and professional reputations. Having represented employers and employees, advised business leaders, and managed employment litigation from both law firm and in-house perspectives, Tamara Bock understands the competing interests that shape workplace disputes. She helps parties communicate productively, evaluate risk realistically, and work toward informed, durable resolutions.
Multi-party commercial disputes frequently involve competing business objectives, overlapping legal issues, and differing risk tolerances. Bock Mediation provides structured ADR services that help parties organize complex issues, evaluate competing interests, and move disputes toward resolution efficiently. Tamara Bock’s experience managing large-scale litigation involving multiple parties and stakeholders enables her to guide even the most complex commercial disputes.
Yes. Bock Mediation handles commercial disputes involving multinational businesses, cross-border contracts, and international business relationships. Tamara Bock has represented global technology companies, public companies, and international businesses in matters involving cross-border legal issues, privacy regulations, and multi-jurisdictional litigation, providing valuable perspective on the legal and business considerations unique to international disputes.
The best ADR process depends on the nature of the dispute, the parties’ goals, the need for confidentiality, the desire to retain control over the outcome, and whether a binding decision is required. Bock Mediation helps businesses throughout Berkeley and the San Francisco Bay Area choose the dispute resolution process that best aligns with their legal, business, and practical objectives.